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Be wary of scammers who take advantage of hail damage victims

While the BBB has not received any scam reports from the metro area after the most recent hail storm, it doesn't mean it's not happening.

DENVER — May and June tend to be the months where Colorado sees severe weather. Over the last couple of weeks, the metro area had its share of heavy rain and hail storms causing car and roof damage for many Coloradans. 

Dino Hickman is an unfortunate recipient of that. He knew hail would hit near his Fort Lupton home a couple of weeks ago, he just didn't know when. 

"I have one of the new Broncos that I waited two years for it to get here since I ordered it and I was trying to go downstairs and get it covered but by the time I got out there and started covering it, it was just coming down too hard for me to be able to really do any good," Hickman said. 

Credit: Dino Hickman

"It's got some pretty bad hail damage on it. Our roof is also pretty damaged as well."

The hail was bad for his car and roof, but good for his business. Hickman is a roofer in the Denver metro area. The storm brought in plenty of new clients and the risk of something else. 

"Just be careful because unfortunately, there are people who prey on people in times like this and it's really bad," he explained. 

Roseann Freitas with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) agreed with Hickman's advice. While the BBB has not received any scam reports from the metro area after the most recent hail storm, it doesn't mean it's not happening.

Credit: Dino Hickman

"The sad thing is most fraud is underreported, scams are not reported. Most people feel a sense of shame that they feel like they did something wrong and they didn't," Freitas explained. "We do ask that they do report that to us so we can let everybody know what's going on in the area." 

The BBB has a full list of things people looking to repair hail damage should keep in mind. One of the most important is, be wary of contractors that show up at your doorstep. They advise to try and ask for a solicitation permit — most cities require one for businesses that go door-to-door. Many scammers show up this way because it does not give the customer time to do their homework on the company. 

"Make sure you know who you’re doing business with, make sure this is an ethical company," Freitas stressed. 

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